


30 Days of Xandra, the Lone Wanderer

by Prof_Anity



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Gen, October Prompt Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-07-23 16:00:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16162181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prof_Anity/pseuds/Prof_Anity
Summary: 30 days of questions directed at Xandra Gomez! Get to know the Lone Wanderer, more than you ever expected or wanted to!





	1. Relationship with Parents

 

> 1.) Describe your character’s relationship with their mother or their father, or both. Was it good? Bad? Were they spoiled rotten, ignored? Do they still get along now, or no?

Her father was her only true friend in the Vault (aside from Amata). He knew she wasn't too happy in the Vault and tried to keep her mind active, instead of deep in tunnel vision.

“I wonder if my dad always kinda meant to get out of the Vault. He gave me all those books and holotapes about the Old World and what was left, it always sounded much cooler than living in that stuffy old place.”

She never knew her mother, but her mom's idealism more than lives on in her.

“Mom...I wish I knew her. All of dad’s stories make her seem so wonderful....I hope she’d be proud of me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to this OCtober challenge! I'm using this particular one!  
> http://30daychallengearchive.tumblr.com/post/34495662100/30-days-of-character-building  
> Hope I manage to keep up with this, Xandra's my favorite OC. It might change on the fly, who knows! I'm excited.
> 
> If you wanted any more backstory on her, I did this biography a long time ago. It includes artwork of my precious girl too! https://archiveofourown.org/works/13166466


	2. Physical Features

> 2.) What is/are your characters most prominent physical feature/s?

Her anime hair. It's mostly grey, very wavy, bit messy. Probably nice to play with.  
“Okay, so weird thing about this, it started going grey when I was, uhh…14? But it was just strands here and there. I asked my dad and he said it’s genetic, apparently everyone on his side of the family started greying early? Then I left the Vault and soaked up all that radiation, which didn't help, whoops…”


	3. Scars

> 3.) Name one scar your character has, and tell us where it came from. If they don’t have any, is there a reason?

I'd be surprised if she wasn't covered in scars at this point. Her jumpsuit (and the little things she adds to it) takes a lot of the blows, but only so much.

“Ooh! There's this one on my shoulder. The first place I came across after I left 101 was a school. I didn't know raiders lived there or what the heck a raider was? I, uhh, got shot at a bit. And it really hurt. I kinda ditched the place. And cried. And missed my dad. But then, I found medical supplies, made it to Megaton, and passed out in the clinic.”

*pause*

“But look at it now, it looks so cool, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who didn't stumble upon Springvale Elementary School before they knew what the hell they were doing?


	4. Appearance

> 4.) How vain is your character? Do they find themselves attractive? 

She doesn’t think of her appearance that much, but she’s pretty happy with herself.

“My girlfriend thinks I’m cute!”


	5. Sexuality

> 5.) What’s your character’s ranking on the Kinsey Scale?

I'd say this pan sweetheart's a 3, right in the middle.

“Anyone can have a good heart! And nice abs. *giggle*”  


	6. Happiest Memory

> 6.) Describe your character’s happiest memory. 

Hard for her to narrow down, with all the special moments she's shared with her dad, Amata, Bittercup, plus saving the Capital Wasteland.

“Maybe...bringing Bittercup to Megaton, seeing her tears...She insists she was tipsy from the alcohol we had on the way, but I know…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda missed the update, but in my defense, I was getting ready for New York Comic-Con!


	7. Erase an Event?

> 7.) Is there one event or happening your character would like to erase from their past? Why?

So many.

“I wish I was able to have a relationship with my mom. Who knows how different our lives would be. Dad might still be alive. But would we have survived if we weren't in 101? If we were allowed in, would we just have stayed there? Who knows what would have happened with the Enclave...Gah. It's hard, I might do it, I might not.

But what if it got worse? So much to think about...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor girl gets carried away with a worrying train of thought at times.  
> Side note: New York Comic Con was a ton of fun!


	8. Favorites!

> 8.) Day of Favorites! What’s your character’s favorite ice cream flavor? Color? Song? Flower?

She’s never had ice cream, but given her sweet tooth, something like bubble gum maybe. Light blue and pink. Something she can move to, but she indulges in the sad stuff every once in a while. Hubflowers.

“I’ve only read about that, but I really wanna try as much of it as I can find! I'm so curious what cold bubble gum tastes like. And I think vanilla and chocolate's the most common combination, with a little, uhh, cherry on top? I wanna know why!”

“I like light colors, ones that put me at ease.”

“Ooh! I like the ones for dancing. I don’t have time for the slow ones, I gotta keep going!”

“I know they're an ingredient of Psycho, but hubflowers are  _ pretty _ ! Have you seen them? They're different shades of blue and purple! Sometimes caravans bring a supply of them, and just once, I hope Moira would let me take a few home. They'd really brighten up the place, you know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue and pink, because my girl is a firm futch on the femme-butch scale.
> 
> Hubflowers ref: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/fallout/images/2/2a/Hubflower.png/revision/latest?cb=20151226225648


	9. Trust

> 9.)  Who does your character trust?

Lots of people. Besides the obvious, Moira Brown is up there. Much as she broke Xandra’s heart, Amata still is too.

“I may have taken a 5 minute dip in a radioactive pool for Moira. And walked through an actual minefield. And got a broken leg. All for the book! I probably would do all of that again in a heartbeat. Well, maybe not the last one, that was pushing it a tiny bit. Still love her though.”

"Amata was there for me the first time I got really drunk, I'll never forget that. Heh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The book she's referring to is the Wasteland Survival Guide. I wrote about it in this story here!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/12595980  
> I might do the story with Xandra and Amata getting hammered for the first time in the future maybe. In the meantime, check out one of their adventures as children!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15442497


	10. Turning Points

> 10.) Can you define a turning point in your character’s life? Multiples are acceptable. 

The first time she met someone who read, and found value in, the Wasteland Survival Guide was the moment she realized she can make a difference.

"That lady showed me her copy of the book. She said it got her and her wife out of an icky scrape. I didn't know what to say, I just hugged her."


	11. Animal Counterpart

> 11.) Is there an animal you equate with your character? 

I think of her as a dog! Like a gray shih tzu. It's the hair. And her active nature.

“Bittercup always teases me by saying I'm more like Dogmeat's mom, than her owner. Then she boops me on the nose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna title this "Fursona" but I respect Xandra too much for that.


	12. Technology

> 12.) How is your character with technology? Super savvy, or way behind the times? Letters or email?

She’s great with tech, thanks to access to Vault-Tec equipment. She enjoys getting a handwritten note more than an email.

“Stan from 101 taught me a lot about computers! We worked on Pip-Boys together. Robots, I’m not so good with. I was  _ terrified _ of Andy. I still worry Wadsworth is gonna pelt me with water bottles sometimes.”

“I like getting nice notes! They're more fun than green text.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andy and Wadsworth are Stan's and Xandra's Mr. Handys!  
> Wadsworth keeps the Megaton house tidy, tells jokes, and will never pelt Xandra with anything but just let her have this one paranoid thought, okay?


	13. Sleeping

> 13.) What does your character’s bed look like when he/she wakes up? Are the covers off on one side of the bed, are they all curled around a pillow, sprawled everywhere? In what position might they sleep?

She moves around a lot but tends to stay on her side of the bed (the left/her right, so that she can leave bed in the morning without waking up Bittercup). Pillows (they each have two), on the other hand, more often than not end up on the floor.

“Apparently I’ve rested a hand on Bittercup’s face on a few occasions. Oops...Oh, and I'm pretty sure I toss and turn a bit, too. Boy, am I glad my sweetheart's a heavy sleeper. ”

" *whispering* She snores a bit, though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the bed in the Megaton home is an ugly single bed, but in my HC, Xandra got a nice full bed the day Bittercup moved in.
> 
> I wrote this laying in bed, for research purposes of course.


	14. Hot and Cold

> 14.)  How does your character react to temperature changes such as extreme heat and cold? 

The Capital Wasteland tends to be pretty consistently hot. She misses the air conditioning of the Vault for that reason.

“Ooh boy, the first thing that came to mind when I left 101 was ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see what’s out there!’. The second was ‘I am sweating my butt off!’. As soon as I could, I got comfy thermals.”


	15. Early Bird or Night Owl?

> 15.) Is your character an early morning bird or a night owl? 

She’s such a morning person. Up bright and early, like clockwork.  
“I feel bad for my Bittercup! She has spent _so_ long being the night patrol for Big Town, and now she lives with me. The first week or two that we lived together, she said she’ll keep watch over me. I love her...”


	16. Family

> 16.) Are there any blood relatives that your character is particularly close with, besides the immediate ones? Cousins, Uncles, Grandfathers, Aunts, et cetera. Are there any others that your character practically considers a blood relative? 

It's just her and her immediate family, who are dead. How do you feel now, huh?

“I think Dad said we had relatives in Appalachia. Who knows if they still live there or if they're still, you know, around. Someday I'll venture out there, even just to see what it's like.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm 99% sure my Fallout 76 character is going to be a direct ancestor of Xandra. Can't wait to see another grey-haired cutie in the wasteland!


	17. Workspace

>  17.) What’s your character’s desk/workspace look like? Are they neat or messy?

It’s not impeccably arranged or anything, but everything’s where it’s supposed to be.

“Bittercup gives me grief over how neat my workspace is, but do the RadAways and Stimpaks work right each time? Uhhh-huh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure Stimpak isn't capitalized, but it has been in the last three stories I wrote so there it stays.  
> Also, I retroactively apply the crafting from Fallout: New Vegas and 4 to these stories, just so you know.


	18. Cooking

> 18.) Is your character a good cook? What’s their favorite recipe, whether they’re good or not? (Microwave mac-and-cheese applies.)

She’s decent at it, but prefers eating at the Brass Lantern because she likes the environment.

“Grandma Sparkle down at the Wharf taught me how to make nice mirelurk meals! Only time I can stand looking at any part of them.”


	19. Transportation

> 19.) What’s your character’s preferred means of travel? 

There really aren’t any working land vehicles, but she loves the ferry and she secretly wishes she could try out one of the Enclave Vertibirds.

“It’s relaxing being in the water. I like to read old scientific journals and textbooks, and talk about them to Nadine. She's surprisingly interested!"

"I've always wondered how far one of those Enclave vehicles can go...Can you make it to another country? Or does it run out of juice too quick? But what would you even see up there? Just clouds of green, probably."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't know, if you played the Point Lookout dlc to the very end, Nadine can take control of the ferry and give you free boat rides.


	20. Irrational Fears

> 20.) Does your character have any irrational fears?

She came across two pages of frogs in a textbook once, and eventually had to tape those pages shut.

“Nothing that looks like that should be able to make 7 foot horizontal leaps!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna write something sad about narrow spaces because of the Jefferson Memorial and trouble with the Enclave, but decided, nah, she's terrified of frogs.


	21. Tattoos

> 21.) What would your character’s cutie mark be?

You’ve lost me here.

“Ooh! I’ve never really considered tattoos before, but I think a sun would look really nice!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to look up what a cutie mark was. You can tell this prompt list was developed at a certain time. I didn't want to alter it though, so here you go.


	22. Time Travel

> 22.) If your character could time travel, where would they go?

To any time with easy travel around the globe.

“Dad said our family’s from a place called Puerto Rico, I’d love to see it! And just explore the rest of the world without the worry that I’ll burst into flames if I stay in the wrong place too long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask, yes that's an MCR reference. Danger Days is the best concept and album, don't fight me on this.


	23. Superstitions

> 23.) Is your character superstitious? 

Not quite habits, but she keeps a lot of knick-knacks.

“I got this 8-ball from Timebomb over at Big Town, and I _swear_ I’ve gotten a bit luckier since then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If an NPC gave me a non-consumable item after a quest, it stays in my inventory, damn it.


	24. Ideal Partner

 

> 24.) What might your character’s ideal romantic partner be?

She’s not sure yet. She would at least hope they can keep up with her.

“I’m really happy with my Bittercup right now. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t get annoyed by me.”

"I don't think about it often, but I sometimes wonder if she'll get bored and just leave someday."


	25. Hands

> 25.) Describe your character’s hands. Are they small, long, calloused, smooth, stubby?

They’ve long been worn by all the fighting she does.

“They are as small and rough as a mole rat. Plus, I've had more broken nails than I'd like.”


	26. Favorites: The Return!

>  26.) Second day of favorites! Favorite comfort food, favorite vice, favorite outfit, favorite hot drink, favorite time of year, and favorite holiday.

Salisbury steak. She enjoys the occasional drink. Pink shirt, blue overalls (long and short) and grey sneakers. She doesn't care for hot drinks very much. There isn't much weather variety in the Capital Wasteland, so whenever it's cool. She loves Christmas.

“Just give me a lifetime supply of Salisbury steaks and I'm one happy girl. Doesn't hurt that Dogmeat likes ‘em too!”

“Bittercup and I have some vodka in the fridge. Every once in a while, a caravan brings tequila and I always make sure to snag some.”

“The more pockets the better!"

“It’s already too hot for me, I don’t need it to be worse!”

“I always look forward to when the winds pick up.”

“I love Christmas! It’s the one time of year people really try to be nice to each other. We had some cute stuff on our tree in the vault..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna pretend I didn't TOTALLY forget about this challenge for two whole days.


	27. Two Songs!

> 27.) Pick two songs that describe your character at two different points of their life, and explain why you chose them. 

“Wild and Wicked World” by Hayley Kiyoko applies to Xandra not too long after leaving the Vault. She’s excited to see the world, even if she has some idea of the horrors out there.

“100 Years” by Florence and the Machine is Xandra after spending much more time out there. She realizes she can’t just fight her way through problems, but that she should take the time to help people get back on their feet. Things are worse than she could’ve thought, but she won’t give up hope that there will always be people to do the right thing.

“I can’t just look away. There are so many ways we can be better. For so long, I just floated through from place to place to place, punching out whoever had the guns, and leaving. Now, I know that giving a bottle or two of clean water, fixing the pipes in somebody's home, or even just being a friendly face to hear someone's problems is enough to make people forget cruelty.

And please, don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive. I know the horrible stuff that people can do. But I believe that as long as we have somebody, or something, to care for, we’ll be fine. Better, even.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a more in-depth playlist on my Spotify! Along with all my other characters, because it's just so much fun. https://open.spotify.com/user/ribos1978/playlist/6oawZmW29CeKUf6joblaGW?si=NmSSsKEXSD-5N3g90Mhk_A


	28. Genre

>  28.) If your character’s life was a genre, what would it be?

Like a lot of stories about teenagers, coming-of-age.

“My life is so much better out here than it could ever have been in that stale old place! I feel complete when I’m doing so many things for people. I could never grow when it’s all the same, day-to-day. I wish more people left. I really miss Amata. But I hope she's being a good overseer. And who knows, maybe I'll be around to see her bring them all out someday. Ooh! Can you imagine if they were able to keep the vault open and turn it into a part of the community? They can keep the tech accessible but have people coming and going as they please. Ooh, boy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 10th anniversary to Fallout 3! I love my baby (the game and Xandra).


	29. How do they smell?

> 29.) How does your character smell? Do they wear perfume or cologne?

Megaton has running water, so she probably isn’t as bad as a majority of wastelanders.

“Dad always taught me to wash thoroughly. He gave me detailed lectures on different types of bacterial infections. They stuck with me. Not unlike bacteria. Heh."


	30. Letter to Xandra

 

> 30.) And finally: Write a letter to your character, from yourself.

To Xandra,

I didn’t know what type of person you would be at first, but I’m proud of how you’ve grown. You have so much ahead of you, and even I don’t know exactly what. However, I have faith that you’ll approach the roads that life leads you down with your graceful and light-hearted manner. Love you, always.

Dad

“Dad programmed this message to appear in my Pip-Boy after a certain amount of time. I will always cherish it. I don’t know if he wanted me to turn out quite as much like him as I did, but I’m thankful to have someone like him for a father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda cheesy, I know, but after 30 days straight* of creating content for her, I feel much closer than ever. She's been my favorite for the longest time but I love her even more. If you've read any bit of this challenge, I hope you enjoyed it! I had a blast.  
> *I didn't miss any days at all, nope


End file.
